Devotion for 9/29/21 5 Minutes "Learning From Adversity"

Boyd Thrash

Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

Ephesians 4:20–24

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Ephesians 4:20-24

Good evening everyone watching by video this evening,,, it's time for our weekly devotion.

I'm praying that all of you are having a wonderful week so far.

As I've said the last several weeks,,, we need to continue to remember those that are dealing with this virus.

Those that are sick,,, since there are many others dealing with this sickness as it continues to grow and,,, those that have lost loved ones,,, we need to continue to remember them as well.

Remember the medical teams that are dealing with this and any others that must work and take a chance of contacting this virus.

Also,,, continue to remember those on our prayer list,,, and our country and it’s leaders.

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Our devotion this evening comes from Billy Graham's "Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional".

Our scripture will be Ephesians 4:20-24 and I'll be reading from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.

Ephesians 4:20–24 (HCSB) —

20 But that is not how you learned about the Messiah, 21 assuming you heard about Him and were taught by Him, because the truth is in Jesus. 22 You took off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires; 23 you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds; 24 you put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

God bless the reading and the hearing of your word this evening.

Let us pray:

Dear Lord,,, as we begin this evening,,, with all that are listening and watching by video,,, we ask that you open our ears to hear and our hearts and minds to receive the message that you have for us today,,, In Jesus' name I pray,,, Amen.

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Paul is showing that in contrast to the old man that we used to be before we became Christians,,, now we are new creatures and we should act as such.

We have done away with our old way of life,,, and if we listen to Holy Spirit as we should,,, we live a life in our new self,,, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.

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Billy Graham titled this devotion,,, "LEARNING FROM ADVERSITY"

Alexander MacLaren,,, a distinguished Manchester preacher (1826–1910), wrote, “What disturbs us in this world is not trouble, but our opposition to trouble.

The true source of all that frets and irritates and wears away our lives is not in external things but in the resistance of our wills to the will of God expressed by eternal things.”

To resent and resist God’s disciplining hand is to miss one of the greatest spiritual blessings we Christians can enjoy this side of heaven.

Whatever it is—aggravations, trouble, adversity, irritations, opposition—we haven’t “learned Christ” until we have discovered that God’s grace is sufficient for every test.

Though Job suffered as few men have, he never lost sight of God’s presence with him in the midst of suffering.

He emerged victorious on the other side of sorrow and testing because he never allowed resentment to cloud his relationship with God.

The attitude which can overcome resentment is expressed by the writer to the Hebrews 12:11: “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it”.

Hopefully,,, we can learn from our adversities,,, and that will help us in our relationship with God.

Prayer:

Our Father and our God, teach me Your righteousness, whether through blessings or burdens. Give me an understanding heart, an attitude of service, a longing for purity. Discipline me when I need it, Father, out of Your great parental love. Teach me humility and patience in suffering. Through Christ. Amen.

Graham, Billy. Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (p. 310). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.